Publié le 15 janvier 2025
constellr has successfully launched its first thermal infrared monitoring satellite ‘Sky-Bee-1’ on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
Sky-Bee-1 will continuously capture high-resolution thermal images of the planet, enabling smarter decisions for climate action, sustainable resource use, and global food security.
The company now focuses on translating this data into customer value and building out its existing commercial footprint in Europe and the US.
Constellr, a European Earth Observation leader, announces the successful launch of its first satellite, Sky-Bee-1, pioneering its thermal infrared technology to monitor global land surface temperatures with unmatched precision, offering a completely new view of the planet. This milestone in the company’s planned High-precision Versatile Ecosphere (HiVE) satellite constellation unlocks transformative insights for sustainable resource management, transforming the way industry and governments tackle climate challenges.
Integrated via Exolaunch, Sky-Bee-1 launched successfully during the Transporter-12 rideshare mission with SpaceX, entering a sun-synchronous orbit 510 km above the Earth. The satellite is expected to deliver its first images within a few weeks. The launch helps constellr service its private and public sector contracts across a range of industries including agriculture, infrastructure and urban development.
The satellite sets a new standard for thermal Earth imaging as it enables timely insights at single field- and building-level precision by capturing high-resolution thermal data at 30m spatial resolution sharpened to 10m and with temperatures accurate to 1-2 Kelvin. It is equipped with two multispectral payloads: an eleven-band visible-near infrared (VNIR) instrument and a four-band thermal infrared (TIR) camera, delivering continuous land surface temperature data for customers.
Sources:
- Business Wire. (2025, January 15). constellr Launches First Satellite, Ushering in a New Era of Global Thermal Monitoring.
- Constellr. (2025, January 15). constellr on LinkedIn: #skybee1 #incubed #satellitelaunch #spacex #thermalintelligence | 25 comments.